Sales of million-dollar homes in the Denver metro area dipped slightly last month, while the median sale price was up fractionally month-over-month, according to an analysis by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

A total of 34 homes sold for more than $1 million in March, down from 37 in February and 36 during the same period a year ago. Meanwhile, the median sale price of luxury homes was $1.35 million up slightly from $1.32 million the previous month but down 2.7 percent from $1.39 million a year ago.

Although volume is leveling off, million-dollar homes are selling faster, with properties taking an average of 101 days to sell compared to 184 the previous month and 130 a year ago.

One of Denver-based Sage Hospitality Resources’ properties has been chosen to participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first national competition to save energy and fight climate change.

The Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown will compete against 13 other buildings across the country to “work off the waste” through improvements in energy efficiency with help from the EPA’s Energy Star program. The building that sheds the most energy waste on a percentage basis will be recognized as the winner in October.

Nearly 200 buildings applied to participate in the competition, which will judge the energy performance of the 14 finalists from Sept. 1, 2009, to Aug. 31.

The energy use of each building will be monitored with the EPA’s online measurement and tracking tool.

Emilie Rusch covers retail and commercial real estate for The Post. A Wisconsin native and Mizzou graduate, she moved to Colorado in 2012. Before that, she worked at a small daily newspaper in South Dakota. It's the one with Mount Rushmore.